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Tinkering kids - what can they take apart (safely)?


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Dh picked up an old laser printer at work for about $15. It was one of those big office printers that had reached the end of its life. We used it for a couple of years before it really, really died. I put it on the back porch, gave my kids screwdrivers, and let them have at it. They spent hours with that thing. Best $15 ever spent.

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I don't recommend it, but ds really enjoyed taking apart my brand new vacuum cleaner when he was 3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He put it back together on command with no parts left over. I was in the room adjoining it crying. It still works 11 years later!:D

 

I seriously doubt he could do it today.:tongue_smilie:

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I help run a "take apart day" each year. We've had a sewing machine, cd players (which are great because they contain lots of gears and motors which you can use for other things), printers, various cooking appliances like a rice cooker and a bread machine, computer CPUs, and so on. The best source for this kind of thing is probably your neighbors' trash. And/or let folks know you want this stuff, and it will come to you.

 

If you have someone who can recognize a motor, for example, you can actually make it work in some other contraption. We found that 9V batteries (those rectangular ones) worked best for this; they have a lot more voltage than the regular AA ones which I think are only 1.5V. You can also cut apart a string of Christmas lights and power them with a battery.

 

I had a couple of cousins who would visit us every year, and they were quite a handful. One year, in part to corral their energy, my dad gave them a wrecked car to take apart. Much fun had by all.

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My ds took apart an old computer when he was around 3rd grade age. He has also taken apart a couple of broken VCR's. He's pretty handy around the house now - fixes the garbage disposal when it gets stuck and replaces light bulbs. Reminds me, I think I'll have him replace the door stoppers over Christmas break (the little rubber things at the end of them have disappeared and their spring has sprung.

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